Chris Wakelin gets another shot at Zhao Xintong at the Shanghai Masters and knows what to expect from the world champion after their Crucible clash in April.
The pair met in the quarter-finals in Sheffield in a game that will not go down as a classic as both struggled for their best form having previously impressed.
The eventual champion ran out a comfortable 13-5 winner to progress and although Zhao wasn’t at his best, Wakelin saw plenty from him at the Crucible to be convinced he will lead the sport going forward.
After beating local wildcard Zhou Jinhao in the opening round of the Shanghai Masters, Wakelin will now face Zhao in his first match since becoming world champion on Wednesday.
‘He’s got it all. He is the future. He’s the future of our sport,’ Wakelin told Metro of Zhao.
‘I think what a lot of people don’t realise is that most players on tour are capable of playing like that, just not every time on the biggest stage. Whereas Xintong has got so much talent that it carries him through the difficult matches.
‘The one thing that really surprised me was his safety game. You don’t expect him to have it.
‘When it comes to the nitty-gritty, I should be able to find the upper hand, but so many times I came to the table and just thought…I’m screwed! He’s absolutely got me where he wants me. I think that caught me off guard.’
Jak Jones, who was beaten by Zhao in the first round at the Crucible, also noted the tactical prowess of the 28-year-old.
‘His long potting and scoring are good and he also has a good tactical game,’ said Jones. ‘There are players who have won a lot more, but I don’t see anyone in the tournament who is actually better than him.’
Wakelin expects Zhao to be a huge positive for snooker as the first Chinese world champion, further growing the profile of the game in a country that is hugely important to the sport.
From a ban for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal, Zhao is now being backed to be the face of snooker.
‘He’s a great ambassador for our sport,’ said Wakelin. ‘I think he’ll do amazing things for us in China. We’ve got an amazing following there. I’m sure he’ll be a worthy world champion. He’ll embrace it.
‘It’s the very first tournament he’s playing in. It will be an honour to play the first ever Chinese world champion in China in his first match.’
Despite the accolades, Wakelin warned Zhao: ‘I’m not fazed by him. Good luck to him, well done. I hope he goes on to do great things, but he doesn’t faze me playing the next world champion.’
On whether the world champion is actually the best player on the planet right now, Wakelin said: ‘He could well be. There are a lot of players in the world that would have something to say about that. He’s got every chance that he could go on to be world number one.’
Zhao and Wakelin meet at 12.30 UK time on Wednesday in the last 16 of the Shanghai Masters.